Ella Nelson

Breast/IM

Position

Graduate Student

Class

Nashville, Tenn.

Hometown

Harpeth Hall

High School

NCAA Champion
2021: 800 Free Relay

All-America
2022: 200 IM, 200 Breast, 400 IM, 800 Free Relay
2021: 200 Breast, 200 IM, 400 IM, 800 Free Relay
2020: 200 Breast, 200 IM, 400 IM, 800 Free Relay

ACC Champion
2022: 400 IM, 800 Free Relay
2021: 400 IM, 800 Free Relay
2020: 800 Free Relay

All-ACC
2022: 200 Breast, 400 IM, 800 Free Relay
2021: 200 Breast, 400 IM, 800 Free Relay
2020: 200 Breast, 400 IM, 800 Free Relay

Virginia Career Bests
100 Free: 51.10
200 Free: 1:46.00
500 Free: 4:39.03
1000 Free: 10:02.00
100 Breast: 1:02.08
200 Breast: 2:04.35 (3rd all-time at UVA)
200 IM: 1:54.48 (4th all-time at UVA)
400 IM: 3:57.25 (2nd all-time at UVA)

2022-23
• Won the 400 IM setting a pool and meet record at ACC Championships
• Won the 500 free at ACC Championships
• Swam the final leg of the 800 free relay, placing first at ACC Championships
• Won the 200 breast and 400 IM, and placed second in the 200 IM against NC State and North Carolina
• Won the 100 breast and the 500 free against Virginia Tech
• Placed third in the 500 free at the Tennessee Invitational
• Won the 400 IM at the Tennessee Invitational
• Placed third in the 200 breast at the Tennessee Invitational
• Placed second in the 200 IM against Texas
• Placed second in the 200 breast against Texas
• ACC Academic Honor Roll

2021-22
• Four-time All-American
• Finished third in the 400 IM, fourth in the 200 breast and eighth in the 200 IM at NCAA Championships
• Part of second-place 800 free relay at NCAA Championships
• Set a meet record and swam the second-fastest time in UVA history to win ACC title in the 400 IM
• Swam second leg of 800 free relay that set a meet record and won ACC title
• Finished third in the 200 breast to earn All-ACC and was fifth in the 200 IM with then season-best times
• Won the 200 free, and 200 breast at the team’s meet against NC State
• Placed second in the 1000 free at the team’s meet against North Carolina
• Was second in the 400 IM, third in the 200 breast and fourth in the 500 free at the Tennessee Invitational
• Won the 200 IM and 200 breast against Texas
• Second in the 100 breast and 100 free against Army
• Finished second in the 200 IM, 200 breast and 200 free at California
• CSCAA Scholar All-American
• All-ACC Academic Team
• ACC Academic Honor Roll

2020-21
• Earned three All-America honors, finishing second in the 400-yard IM and 200-yard breaststroke and fifth in the 200-yard IM at the NCAA Championships
• Swam the third leg of UVA’s first relay NCAA championship in the 800 free relay
• Won ACC title in the 400-yard IM, was third in the 200-yard breaststroke and fourth in the 200-yard IM at the ACC Championships
• Anchored the first-place 800 free relay at the ACC Championships
• Won the 400-yard IM against North Carolina
• Won the 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard IM against Tennessee and Alabama
• Placed third in the 200-yard IM with a personal-best time of 1:54.72 against Tennessee and Alabama
• Won the 200-yard freestyle and placed second in the 200-yard breaststroke against Navy
• Placed fourth at the Toyota U.S. Open in the 200m breast
• All-ACC Academic Team
• Named to ACC Academic Honor Roll

2019-20
• NCAA Championships cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
• Earned All-America honors in the 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM and 800 free relay for advancing to the NCAA Championships in the events
• Won an ACC title with the 800-yard freestyle relay
• ACC runner-up in the 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard individual medley, earning All-ACC honors for both events
• Set a school record in the 200-yard breaststroke and 400-yard individual medley at the ACC Championships
• Placed fourth in the 200-yard individual medley at the ACC Championships
• Recorded the third all-time fastest 200-meter individual medley time in school history at the Toyota U.S. Open Championships
• Captured the eighth-best 100 and 200-meter breaststroke times in school history at the Toyota U.S. Open Championships
• Placed in the top 10 in the 400-yard individual medley (7th), 200-yard individual medley (8th) and 200-yard breaststroke (10th) at the Tennessee Invitational
• Placed second in the 200-yard breaststroke and third in the 400-yard individual medley at the USC Trojan Invite in addition to placing fifth in the 500-yard freestyle and sixth in the 200-yard individual medley
• Named to the All-ACC Academic Team
• Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll

Background
• Named the 2017-18 national champion by Swimming World Magazine
• Was named to the All-State and Al-Region team four consecutive years
• Holds the national record in the 200 medley relay, setting the record in the 2018
• Advanced to the B finals at the 2019 Phillips 66 National Championships in the 200 Breast (10th place) and 400m IM (15th place)
• Placed 22nd at the 2019 Phillips 66 National Championships in the 100 breast

Personal
• Pursuing a Master’s degree in the McIntire School of Commerce
• Recipient of the 2022-2023 Hollingsworth Family Bicentennial Scholars Fund
• Daughter of Katie Nelson and Gep Nelson